The Artemis IV drifted in silence above Earth, its patched hull shimmering with alien glyphs. The planet curved beneath them, oceans glinting like molten sapphire, clouds swirling in endless motion.
Marquez pressed her forehead against the viewport, whispering, "We actually made it."
Okafor's hands shook over the controls. "Telemetry is stabilizing… orbit achieved. Captain, we should begin plotting course for Mars."
Hayes stood behind him, arms crossed, gaze fixed on the red glimmer in the distance. "Do it."
Daniel sat quietly, the crystal pulsing faintly beneath his chest. He could feel the ship's hunger, not for rest, but for movement—for the void ahead.
---
The Signal
The hum of systems filled the cockpit, steady, almost soothing. Then—static. A burst of noise hissed through the comms, sharp and sudden.
Marquez jolted. "What was that?"
Okafor frowned, adjusting dials. "Not from Earth. Wrong frequency. Too… structured."
The static pulsed again. Not random. A rhythm. Three long bursts, three short, three long.
Hayes stiffened. "That's not background noise. That's a transmission."
Daniel's vision wavered. For a heartbeat, the static wasn't sound at all—it was light, fracturing across his mind like shards of glass. He saw shadows drifting in the void, colossal shapes that didn't move like ships but like predators circling unseen.
He snapped back with a gasp, chest burning. "It's not for us. It's for them."
The crew stared. Hayes's voice dropped into steel. "Them who?"
Daniel shook his head, but the crystal pulsed harder, as if warning him.
---
The Shadows
Moments later, the sensors flickered. Faint distortions rippled across the void—gravitational anomalies that had no source.
Okafor's face drained of color. "Captain… something's moving out there. Between us and Mars."
Through the viewport, the stars shimmered strangely, as though veiled by invisible currents. And then, for the briefest instant, a shadow blotted out a cluster of stars. Vast. Silent. Gone before they could focus on it.
Marquez's hand tightened on her console. "Please tell me that was a sensor glitch."
Hayes didn't answer. His eyes remained locked on the void, jaw clenched. "Plot the course. Fast. If something's out here, I want us moving before it finds us."
---
The Whisper
As Okafor scrambled, Daniel sat frozen, the crystal burning like fire beneath his skin. He didn't hear static now. He heard whispers, not in sound, but in the marrow of his bones.
Forward. Deeper. Not alone.
He pressed a hand against his chest, trembling. The crystal wasn't just a key—it was a beacon. And something had heard it.